Shannen Moser Shares “Paint by Number,” Lead Single from Forthcoming LP

The Philadelphia-based artist Shannen Moser has shared “Paint by Number,” the contemplative lead single from their forthcoming album The Sun Still Seems to Move, out Sept. 30 via Lame-O Records. On the new single, Moser combines their minimal acoustic arrangements with orchestral swells, a decisive step outside of their usual simplistic comfort zone.

The track announces itself in a delicate way: Like light dapples across a lake, it poses an ever-shifting brightness. The wispy finger-plucked guitars and graceful violins embody the watercolor blur of constant change that Moser muses about. Resembling a patchwork quilt, they sew together folk and country influences to create a handmade homage to the people that have become their family. With a string of soft moments that resemble the last seconds before sunset, they find comfort in the fleeting things.

Moser further explains the track in a statement:

I wrote this song at a time when days truly just felt like the days were bleeding into one another. I had been experiencing a lot of change in my life and the dichotomy of monotony and chaos at the same time was really confusing – things felt slow and in that I found a lot of comfort despite the sadness and uncertainty. “‘A series of quiet moments makes forever’ you reply” – Leaning into the stillness of those kinds of feelings can be extremely humbling. This song is really an attempt at gratitude for the loved ones in my life and the experience of being able to quiet the darkness for one another.